Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of staff in his Departments have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

David Cairns: All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice. The Office does not maintain a central record of sick absences; such records are held by the parent Departments.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which make and model of car she has chosen as her ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Transport on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 414W.

Olympic Games 2012

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent estimate she has made of the number of nations that will compete in the London 2012  (a) Olympic and  (b) Paralympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: Based on participation in recent Olympic games and Paralympic games, we expect over 200 National Olympic Committees, and about 150 National Paralympic Committees to take part in 2012.

Olympic Games 2012: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how the London 2012 Olympics will assist regeneration and sports projects in Halifax.

Tessa Jowell: The Legacy Action Plan (LAP) which was launched in June outlines how Government will deliver a sustainable legacy for the whole of the UK from the London 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games.
	This includes a target to get two million people more active through sport and physical activity by 2012. Sport England will seek to get one million more active through sport; they will do this through new engagement with national governing bodies and through county sports partnerships. Calderdale are already working with other Yorkshire and Humberside authorities and primary care trusts to drive participation. This has led to a 3.5 per cent. increase in participation across the Yorkshire and Humberside region since 2005. Additionally, the Government have announced a new national free swimming programme for those aged 60 plus and under-16's. Local authorities in England will be invited to participate in the scheme and will receive funding towards the costs. The scheme will start in April 2009.

District Policing Partnerships: Standards

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which district policing partnerships did not meet the key performance indicator targets set by the Policing Board in 2006-07; and by how much they missed each target.

Paul Goggins: For the 2006-07 reporting period, District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) carried out a self-assessment of their effectiveness against the targets set out in the DPP Monitoring Framework. The targets for DPPs reflect their statutory functions, as set out in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with details of those DPPs who did not achieve set targets. The Northern Ireland Policing Board recognises the importance of DPP effectiveness and was pleased that the 2006-07 assessment found the majority of targets set were met by most DPPs. The Board reviewed the performance management system for DPPs, and introduced a new effectiveness framework in April 2008.

Cash Dispensing: Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of access to free-of-charge cash withdrawals in Mid and West Wales.

Kitty Ussher: As I announced on 17 July, excellent progress has been made towards the goal of providing around 600 new free ATMs across 1,707 low- income target areas identified by the ATM working group as lacking convenient access. I am pleased to say that of the 198 low-income target areas in Wales, 119 are now expected to benefit from convenient access to free cash withdrawals as a result of free new cash machines already in operation or under contract to be installed by the end of 2008.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which make and model of car the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has chosen as his ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency;
	(2)  which make and model of car he has chosen as his Ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July, 2008,  Official Report, column 414W.

Excise Duties: Diesel Fuel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of receipts from duty paid on diesel by the rail industry in 2007-08.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 July 2008
	No estimate has been made for 2007-08.
	Energy statistics from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, available at www.berr.gov.uk indicate that 654 thousand tonnes (775 million litres) of gas oil ('red diesel') was consumed by the rail industry in 2006.
	Applying the duty rate for rebated oils to this figure gives an estimate of revenue in 2006 of approximately £50 million.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people paid vehicle excise duty at the pre-graduated rate in 2007-08 in respect of cars of engine size  (a) 1549cc and below and  (b) above 1549cc; what estimate his Department has made of the number of vehicles in each category in low-income households; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who will pay vehicle excise duty (VED) at the pre-graduated rate in 2008-09; how many will pay VED at  (a) a lower rate,  (b) a higher rate and  (c) the same rate in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the revenue from vehicle excise duty at the pre-graduated rate from vehicles with engine sizes of  (a) 1549cc and below and  (b) above 1549cc in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of cars with engine sizes  (a) 1549cc or below and  (b) above 1549cc liable for vehicle excise duty at the pre-graduated rate in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the number of cars in each category in low-income households in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new vehicles were registered in each year from 2001 to 2006, broken down by each of the new vehicle excise duty (VED) bands to be applied to cars registered in those years; what the net tax take will be from the applications of these new bands to those vehicles; and what the net tax take for those vehicles would have been had VED continued to be applied as previously.

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the evidential basis was for his statement of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 765, that the majority of drivers will benefit from the proposed changes to vehicle excise duty; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposed changes to vehicle excise duty on disabled people;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of proposed vehicle excise duty increases on vehicle owners rural areas with limited public transport.

Angela Eagle: The Budget 2008 included proposed reforms to the system of CO2-based VED, aimed at strengthening the incentive to develop and use cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars. The reforms build on the system of banding by CO2 emissions introduced in 2001 in response to rising concern over the impact of vehicle emissions.
	While CO2 emissions from new cars have dropped by 13 per cent. since 1997, overall emissions from road transport still account for over 20 per cent. of the UK's total emissions and it is clear that we must go further to ensure we meet our environmental targets.
	Proposed EU targets supported by the Government, mean the CO2 emissions of an average new car will need to be cut to 130 grams per kilometre by 2012. In addition, the King review, published alongside the Budget, showed that carbon emissions could be reduced by 25 per cent. if motorists shifted to the lowest carbon car within a particular class.
	The Budget 2008 reforms to VED will increase the number of bands from seven to 13 in 2009-10. From 2010-11, new cars will be taxed differently in the first year to influence purchasing choices at the point of sale. Overall these measures will ensure that drivers of the lowest emitting cars will benefit from a reduced VED rate and those who drive higher emitting cars will pay more.
	The following tables are based on the new VED bands published on page 122 of the Budget Red Book and set out estimates for the number of cars that will sit within each new VED band in both 2009 and 2010. They also show how the amount that these cars pay will compare in real terms to the rate in 2008. Those who are eligible for the higher mobility element of disability living allowance are exempt from VED. In addition, there is also an exemption for organisations that operate passenger vehicles for the benefit of disabled people. In total, over 1.1 million disabled motorists are exempt from VED.
	Furthermore, Government continue to support the long established motability scheme, set up by the Government in 1977 to provide disabled people with safe, reliable and affordable cars.
	By 2010, 55 per cent. of motorists will pay less or the same in real terms as a result of these reforms. In addition, excluding first rates for new vehicles, the reforms mean that:
	80 per cent. will pay no more than £55 extra;
	95 per cent. will pay no more than £100 extra; and
	5 per cent. will pay between £100 and £245 extra.
	
		
			  2009-10 
			  Band  C O 2  (g/km)  2009-10  Percentage pay less  Percentage pay the same  Percentage pay more 
			 A Up to 100 400 0 100 0 
			 B 101-110 217,000 100 0 0 
			 C 111-120 470,000 100 0 0 
			 D 121-130 670,000 100 0 0 
			 E 131-140 2,394,000 100 0 0 
			 F 141-150 3,087,000 100 0. 0 
			 G 151-160 3,256,000 0 100 0 
			 H 161-170 2,400,000 0 50 50 
			 I 171-180 1,785,000 0 0 100 
			 J 181-200 2,577,000 0 0 100 
			 K 201-225 2,550,000 0 0 100 
			 L 226-255 277,000 0 0 100 
			 M Over 255 311,000 0 0 100 
			 All bands  19,994,400 34 22 44 
		
	
	
		
			  2010-11 
			  Band  CO 2  (g/km)  2010-11  Percentage pay less  Percentage pay the same  Percentage pay more 
			 A Up to 100 9,000 0 100 0 
			 B 101-110 266,000 100 0 0 
			 C 111-120 565,000 20 80 0 
			 D 121-130 822,000 100 0 0 
			 E 131-140 2,813,000 100 0 0 
			 F 141-150 3,393,000 0 100 0 
			 G 151-160 3,560,000 0 100 0 
			 H 161-170 2,558,000 0 40 60 
			 I 171-180 1,912,000 0 0 100 
			 J 181-200 2,714,000 0 0 100 
			 K 201-225 1,535,000 0 0 100 
			 L 226-255 1,002,000 0 0 100 
			 M Over 255 766,000 0 0 100 
			 All bands  21,915,000 18 39 43 
		
	
	The graduated VED rate will apply to all cars for which emissions data are available, i.e. those first registered after March 2001. For cars purchased pre-March 2001, different rates apply.
	There are also separate arrangements in place for alternative fuel cars which are defined as 'gas-propelled vehicles, and those capable of being propelled by petrol and gas or electricity and petrol/diesel'.
	These cars will receive a discount on their graduated VED. In 2008-09, alterative fuel cars in bands A to E receive a £20 discount from the standard graduated VED rate, and cars in bands F and G receive a £15 discount. In 2009-10, the discount for cars in new bands A to I will be £20, and £15 for cars in bands J to M. In 2010-11, all alternative fuel cars will receive a £10 discount from the standard rate.
	As has been the practice under successive Governments, the VED rates will apply to all cars, including second-hand ones, where emissions data are available. Since the number of used cars sold is three times that of new cars, it is important to provide an environmental incentive to the used car market as well as the new car market.
	The new rates will include a transitional period for cars registered between March 2001 and March 2006 that emit 225g/km or higher. These cars have been charged at a lower rate since 2006. They are currently charged the rate for current band F (£210), when the correct band for their emissions is band G (£400).
	In order to reduce the financial impact on these motorists in any one year, these vehicles will be charged a lower transitional rate of £300 in 2009, before moving into band L or M in 2010—bringing them in line with all other vehicles with the same emission levels This group represents the 5 per cent. of motorists in graduated VED who will pay between £100 and £245 extra in non first year rates from 2010.
	The graduated VED rates do not apply to cars purchased before March 2001, as there are no comprehensive emissions data available for these vehicles. Motorists who bought their cars before March 2001 will continue to pay VED based on the size of the engine. Cars with engines below 1549 cc will have their VED rate frozen at £120 in 2009—a fall in real terms—while cars with engines above 1550 cc will see their VED rate increase by £15. Having different rates depending on the engine size ensures that there is an environmental signal for VED taxation for pre-2001 cars, taking account of the data available.
	The following table is based on the categories for pre March 2001 cars published on page 123 of the Budget Red Book and sets out the current Treasury estimate of the number of cars that will sit within each category.
	
		
			  Estimated number of pre-2001 cars by band 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 1549cc and below 4,198,000 3,771,000 3,322,000 2,851,000 
			 1550 cc and above 7,091,000 6,403,000 5,687,000 4,934,000 
		
	
	In 1997 the rate of VED was £145. Had the Government simply uprated the duty in line with inflation then all motorists would have to pay £200 in 2009. Therefore, all cars purchased prior to 2001 will pay no more in real terms in 2009 than in 1997. The single VED band meant that all car owners were taxed the same amount, regardless of the type of car that they drive. By introducing and then reforming graduated VED since 2001, the Government have made the system less regressive, as well as ensuring that the most polluting cars pay more than the least polluting.
	Statistics for the number of the vehicles in low-income households are not available for 2007-08, and has not been forecast for 2008-09 onwards. The Government do not collect data from drivers when purchasing tax discs according to their household income. The best available relevant data on the impact of VED on low income households are set out in my PQ answer of 4 June.
	The Treasury does not hold information on the specific impact of proposed vehicle excise duties on rural areas. Working vehicles that do not use public roads other than for travelling no more than 1.5 kilometres between different areas of land owned by the same person, are exempt from VED.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 12 May regarding a constituent, reference 96705.

Angela Eagle: I understand the correspondence referred to, initially sent to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is being dealt with by DCMS.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department plan to attend the Beijing Olympic Games; to what purpose in each case; and what estimate he has made of the cost.

Angela Eagle: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent and Shadow Sports and Olympics Minister (Hugh Robertson) on 19 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 5-6W.
	The number of Government officials attending has not yet been finalised.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned on the role of maize and trace element deficiency in the spread of M.bovis.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 July 2008
	 : While the role of maize in the spread of  Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) has not been specifically investigated by any DEFRA funded research projects, the case-control studies carried out as part of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) did investigate associations between a number of feed types and risk of a herd TB breakdown. Studies TB99 and CCS2005, found an association between feeding silage and the use of grass feeding types for grazing/forage and an increase in risk of TB breakdown, respectively. The findings of these studies are in the final report of the Independent Scientific Group report on cattle TB In addition TB99 also identified not using feeding supplements as a risk factor for confirmed cases of TB.
	The association between  M. bovis infection and trace elements such as selenium, copper and vitamin B12 status of cattle was investigated as part of the DEFRA funded project "Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Cattle—Complementary Field Studies" (project SE3013), carried out at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA). While little evidence was found for a difference by TB status in copper or B12, associations were found between low levels of selenium and a higher risk of an animal being infected with  M.bovis. However, given the design of the study and the evidence that the action of some micro-nutrients can be substantially influenced by the levels of others it was not possible to conclude that the observed associations were causal. The full report can be downloaded from DEFRA's website.
	I remain open minded about the possibility of a nutritional link but because of the number of variables involved and the likelihood a causal link could never be proven I am not inclined to fund further research into this subject.

Climate Change

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the statement in the Climate Change Bill Committee of 3 July 2008,  Official Report, column 252, by the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter to Lord Turner on the publication of interim findings by the independent Climate Change Committee.

Phil Woolas: I am writing to the noble Lord Turner in the terms I set out in the Climate Change Bill Committee of 3 July 2008,  Official Report, column 282 and will place a copy of this letter in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of staff of his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows details of the proportion of staff who did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. For DEFRA, the data relates to staff in core-DEFRA, Animal Health, Government Decontamination Service, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Pesticides Safety Directorate and Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 DEFRA 87.8 84.7 
			 RPA 84.8 86.1 
			 VLA 87.7 86.8 
			 CSL 77.8 76.9 
			 CEFAS 84.5 83.9 
		
	
	Bonuses are used to reward excellent performance during the year and are based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers. Performance related pay schemes encourage high attainment because bonuses have to be earned each year. They help drive high performance in Departments and agencies and support better public service delivery.

Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities have installed  (a) bin weighing technology and  (b) RFID chips in household bins, according to records held by (i) his Department and (ii) the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Joan Ruddock: Neither my Department nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme hold this data.

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information necessary to answer this question fully for each of the last five years is not available except at disproportionate cost. We are limited to providing the following estimates of the main species of fish supplied and the overall cost for each of the years 2005 to 2007 and the first six months of 2008.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2005  2006  2007 ( 1) 2008 
			 Haddock 45 44 35 30 
			 Tuna 20 20 18 20 
			 Salmon 25 25 22 20 
			 Trout 10 10 8 5 
			 Sea Bass 0 0 3 3 
			 Sea Bream 0 0 3 4 
			 Hake 0 0 2 4 
			 Hoki 0 1 5 9 
			 Pollock 0 0 4 5 
			  
			 Total cost (£) 12,850 14,900 15,600 8,100 
			 (1) Six months 
		
	
	More data on public sector food procurement is published on the PSFPI website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-afood-usage.pdf.

Pandas

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China on its export of giant pandas; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: There have been no recent discussions between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment (Hilary Benn) and China over the export of giant pandas. The UK Government are committed to working with other countries to promote the conservation of the world's wildlife, such as the giant panda, through our membership of agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Any export of pandas from China would need to comply with CITES' provisions.

Rural Areas: Planning

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government means of altering planning contracts in rural areas to encourage job promotion, and in particular the development of rural business centres.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Prime Minister has asked Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St. Austell, to conduct a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing. I continue to have regular discussions with the Minister for Housing on these topics and look forward to receiving the recommendations of the review.

Waste Disposal

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a list of the sources for fly-tipping and waste placed out which informed the most recent annual Local Environment Quality Survey of England.

Joan Ruddock: The 2006-07 Local Environment Quality Survey of England Report can be found on the ENCAMS website. The report does not have information on the proportional sources of fly-tipping and waste placed out. There is general background on the sources of solid waste encountered during the survey which are defined as: General Litter, Domestic Refuse, Commercial Wastes, Animal and Other Faeces, Clinical Wastes, Putrescible Materials, Other Wastes Occurring as litter.

Waste Disposal

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civic amenity sites each waste authority in England provides.

Joan Ruddock: The table provides the numbers of household civic amenity sites the Environment Agency has permitted in England by local authority area.
	The caveat is that these figures do not include those civic amenity sites which are incorporated into other types of sites such as waste transfer sites/material recycling facilities operated by local authorities or their contractors. It is not possible to separate these data.
	
		
			  C.A. sites in England (excluding Wales) by local authority at 15 July 2008 
			  Local authority  Number of sites 
			 Adur 2 
			 Alnwick 2 
			 Arun 2 
			 Ashfield 3 
			 Ashford 3 
			 Aylesbury Vale 1 
			 Babergh 3 
			 Barnet 2 
			 Barnsley 3 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 1 
			 Basildon 1 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 1 
			 Bassetlaw 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3 
			 Bedford 1 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3 
			 Bexley 2 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3 
			 Blackpool 1 
			 Blyth Valley 3 
			 Bolton 1 
			 Boston 1 
			 Bournemouth 1 
			 Bradford 9 
			 Braintree 2 
			 Breckland 4 
			 Brentwood 1 
			 Brighton and Hove 1 
			 Bristol, City of 4 
			 Bromley 2 
			 Bromsgrove 1 
			 Broxtowe 3 
			 Burnley 1 
			 Bury 1 
			 Calderdale 5 
			 Camden 2 
			 Cannock Chase 2 
			 Carlisle 1 
			 Castle Morpeth 4 
			 Castle Point 1 
			 Chamwood 1 
			 Chelmsford 2 
			 Cheltenham 1 
			 Cherwell 1 
			 Chester-le-Street 1 
			 Chichester 2 
			 Chorley 1 
			 Christchurch 1 
			 Colchester 2 
			 Cotswold 1 
			 Coventry 2 
			 Craven 1 
			 Crawley 1 
			 Croydon 3 
			 Dacorum 1 
			 Darlington 1 
			 Dartford 2 
			 Daventry 2 
			 Derby 1 
			 Derwentside 3 
			 Doncaster 5 
			 Dover 2 
			 Durham 4 
			 Easington 3 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1 
			 East Devon 3 
			 East Hertfordshire 3 
			 East Lindsey 3 
			 East Northamptonshire 1 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 9 
			 East Staffordshire 2 
			 Eastbourne 1 
			 Eden 1 
			 Enfield 3 
			 Epping Forest 1 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1 
			 Erewash 1 
			 Fenland 4 
			 Forest Heath 2 
			 Forest of Dean 1 
			 Fylde 2 
			 Gateshead 2 
			 Gedling 2 
			 Gloucester 1 
			 Guildford 1 
			 Hackney 1 
			 Hambleton 4 
			 Harborough 1 
			 Haringey 2 
			 Harrogate 2 
			 Harrow 1 
			 Hartlepool 2 
			 Havering 1 
			 Hillingdon 1 
			 Horsham 1 
			 Hounslow 2 
			 Huntingdonshire 5 
			 Hyndbum 1 
			 Ipswich 1 
			 Isle of Wight 1 
			 Islington 2 
			 Kennet 1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 
			 Kettering 1 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 5 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 1 
			 Kirklees 7 
			 Lambeth 2 
			 Lancaster 2 
			 Leeds 16 
			 Leicester 2 
			 Lewes 3 
			 Lewisham 1 
			 Lichfield 3 
			 Lincoln 2 
			 Luton 2 
			 Maldon 2 
			 Malvern Hills 5 
			 Mansfield 2 
			 Medway 3 
			 Merton 1 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 2 
			 Mid Devon 1 
			 Mid Suffolk 3 
			 Mid Sussex 2 
			 Milton Keynes 3 
			 Newark and Sherwood 3 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 5 
			 Newham 2 
			 North Devon 1 
			 North East Derbyshire 1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3 
			 North Hertfordshire 2 
			 North Kesteven 1 
			 North Lincolnshire 7 
			 North Norfolk 1 
			 North Shropshire 1 
			 North Somerset 2 
			 North Tyneside 1 
			 North Wiltshire 1 
			 Northampton 2 
			 Nottingham 1 
			 Oadby and Wigston 1 
			 Oldham 2 
			 Oswestry 2 
			 Oxford 2 
			 Pendle 2 
			 Penwith 1 
			 Peterborough 1 
			 Plymouth 1 
			 Poole 2 
			 Preston 1 
			 Redbridge 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3 
			 Redditch 1 
			 Reigate and Banstead 1 
			 Restormel 1 
			 Ribble Valley 1 
			 Richmondshire 1 
			 Rochdale 2 
			 Rochford 1 
			 Rother 2 
			 Rotherham 3 
			 Rushcliffe 2 
			 Rutland 1 
			 Ryedale 7 
			 Salisbury 3 
			 Sandwell 2 
			 Scarborough 5 
			 Sedgefield 2 
			 Sedgemoor 1 
			 Selby 4 
			 Sevenoaks 2 
			 Sheffield 6 
			 Shepway 1 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 1 
			 Slough 1 
			 Solihull 1 
			 South Bedfordshire 1 
			 South Cambridgeshire 2 
			 South Derbyshire 2 
			 South Gloucestershire 3 
			 South Holland 1 
			 South Kesteven 3 
			 South Lakeland 1 
			 South Northamptonshire 1 
			 South Ribble 1 
			 South Shropshire 1 
			 South Somerset 1 
			 South Staffordshire 2 
			 South Tyneside 2 
			 Southend-on-Sea 2 
			 St. Edmundsbury 4 
			 Stafford 2 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 4 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 5 
			 Stroud 1 
			 Suffolk Coastal 4 
			 Sunderland 3 
			 Swale 1 
			 Tameside 1 
			 Tandridge 1 
			 Taunton Deane 2 
			 Teesdale 2 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4 
			 Tendring 5 
			 Tewkesbury 1 
			 Thurrock 1 
			 Torridge 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 1 
			 Tunbridge Wells 1 
			 Tynedale 8 
			 Uttlesford 1 
			 Vale of White Horse 2 
			 Vale Royal 2 
			 Wakefield 7 
			 Walsall 1 
			 Waltham Forest 5 
			 Wansbeck 2 
			 Watford 2 
			 Waveney 3 
			 Wealden 5 
			 Wear Valley 4 
			 Wellingborough 2 
			 West Devon 1 
			 West Dorset 1 
			 West Lancashire 3 
			 West Lindsey 1 
			 Westminster 1 
			 Weymouth and Portland 1 
			 Wigan 4 
			 Wolverhampton 2 
			 Worcester 3 
			 Worthing 1 
			 Wychavon 2 
			 Wyre 2 
			 Wyre Forest 2 
			 York 2 
			 Total 520

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the gross costs to  (a) his Department and  (b) participating local authorities of the pilots for the new charges for the collection of household rubbish.

Joan Ruddock: As explained in my written statement to Parliament on 15 November 2007, and subsequently, the Department has up to £1.5 million per year for the next three years to help support pilot waste incentive schemes.
	The impact assessment of powers to pilot incentives, also published on DEFRA's website on 15 November 2007, estimates costs and savings for local authorities piloting a waste incentive scheme. One-off start-up costs for a 50,000 household scheme are estimated at £100,00 to £200,000, annual running costs at £200,000 to £500,000. Savings accruing to local authorities for a 50,000 household scheme (from having less waste to collect, treat and dispose of) are estimated at £290,000 to £1.4 million per annum.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent to date on  (a) planning,  (b) piloting,  (c) consultancy,  (d) publicity and  (e) research into (i) variable charging for the collection of household waste and (ii) proposed charging schemes for the collection of household waste.

Joan Ruddock: My Department funded a research project carried out by Eunomia Research and Consulting, entitled "Modelling the Impact of Household Charging for Waste in England", at a cost of £41,614.83. This report was published on DEFRA's website in May 2007.
	My Department also purchased data on the distributional impacts of waste charging in Flanders, at a cost of £2,166.40. This was used to inform the Impact Assessment of powers to pilot local authority incentives for household waste minimisation and recycling. The Impact Assessment was published on 15 November 2007 and is also available from DEFRA's website.
	My Department employs 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) Grade 7, 1 FTE HEO(D) and 0.75 FTE AO to work on the Government's proposals for waste incentive pilot schemes.

Departmental Sick Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how much sick pay to staff in his office cost in the last five years for which figures are available.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) on 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1571W.

Arm's Length Management Organisation

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regard a local authority must have to views of tenants before termination of an arm's length management organisation; and what duty there is on an authority to consult with tenants before termination.

Iain Wright: Should a local authority consider winding up its arms length management organisation (ALMO), it should take account of the views of all stakeholders, but most importantly the tenants whose homes are managed by the ALMO. Departmental guidance states that a local authority should consult its tenants on any significant changes to its housing management arrangements. That consultation should be no less rigorous than that undertaken to establish support for the establishment of the ALMO.

Arm's Length Management Organisation

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she issues to local authorities on the termination of arm's length management organisations, with particular reference to the demonstration of the benefits of termination to tenants.

Iain Wright: The Department updated the general guidance issued to local authorities on ALMOs within the Review of Arms Length Management Organisations June 2006. This included guidance on consulting tenants should there be significant changes proposed to a local authority's housing management arrangements.
	The document does not refer specifically to the demonstration to tenants of the benefits of winding up an ALMO. However, the Department believes that existing ALMO arrangements should remain in place unless an alternative can be shown to have demonstrable benefits for tenants.

Arm's Length Management Organisation

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Decent Homes funding allocated to an arm's length management organisation is automatically switched to an alternative housing manager in the event of its termination.

Iain Wright: Funding allocated to an arms length management organisation (ALMO) would not be switched to an alternative housing manager in the event of an ALMO being wound up. The funding is contingent on the ALMO delivering a Decent Homes investment programme on behalf of its local authority.

Carbon Emissions: Buildings

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the average building carbon dioxide emission per square metre of floor area in each year since 2004;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the average building carbon dioxide emission per square metre of floor area for  (a) schools,  (b) other public sector buildings,  (c) commercial and industrial buildings and  (d) retail buildings in each year since 2004;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the average annual dwelling's carbon dioxide emission per square metre of floor area in each year since 2004;
	(4)  what estimate she has made of the average building energy use per square metre of floor area in each year since 2004;
	(5)  what estimate she has made of the average non-domestic building energy use per square metre of floor area for  (a) schools,  (b) other public sector buildings,  (c) commercial and industrial buildings and  (d) retail buildings in each year since 2004;
	(6)  what estimate she has made of the average dwelling energy use per square metre of floor area, in each year since 2004.

Iain Wright: The Department does not hold or make estimates of the average carbon dioxide emissions or energy use from buildings in the form requested. However, the Department's report "Monitoring the Sustainability of Buildings", published in 2007 provides a comparison of figures on average energy use and annual carbon emissions per square metre for domestic and non-domestic buildings in 2004 and 2006. This can be viewed on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningand building/pdf/381414.pdf
	Further data are currently being compiled for the next report on this subject which will be published in 2009.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which make and model of car the Minister for Housing has chosen as her ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency;
	(2)  which make and model of car she has chosen as her ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 414W.

Floods: Hull

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 140-1W, on floods: Hull, what Bellwin payments were made to recipients in  (a) Gloucestershire and  (b) Hull as a result of the 2007 floods, broken down by recipient;

John Healey: The following authorities received payments under the Bellwin Scheme operated by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a result of the 2007 floods:
	 Gloucestershire
	Cotswold district council was paid £87,432 on 18 February 2008. Cheltenham borough council was paid £48,361,000 on 9 April 2008 and £20,638 on 10 July 2008. Gloucester city council was paid £114,000 on 20 December 2007, £46,995,000 on 26 February 2008 and £28,366 on 12 March 2008. Gloucestershire county council was paid £1,100,000 on 18 December 2007, £1,454,384 on 26 March 2008 and £253,260 on 9 April 2008. Gloucestershire Police Authority was paid £955,420 on 8 February 2008. Stroud district council was paid £8,673 on 25 February 2008. Tewkesbury borough council was paid £351,073 on 12 March 2008.
	 Hull
	Humberside Fire and Rescue was paid £167,935 on 24 December 2007. Kingston Upon Hull city council was paid £1,800,693 on 18 February 2008 and £297,124 on 7 May .

Floods: Insurance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with insurers on areas adversely affected by the 2007 floods.

John Healey: As Minister for Flood Recovery, I have met the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and representatives of their members on a number of occasions since last summer's floods. Most recently, on 18 June, I addressed the ABI's conference "2007 Floods: One Year On".

Housing: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will develop policies to ensure exclusive provision to the local population of housing supply in remote rural locations; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government recognise that rural communities face particular pressures. National planning for housing policies in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) gives local authorities in rural areas the flexibility to determine the kind of new housing that should be built in their area. They should be proactive in identifying sufficient suitable sites that can be brought into development.
	The rural exception site policy in PPS3 allows local authorities, where practical and economically viable, to grant permission for 100 per cent. affordable housing on small sites that would not normally be released for housing. This is an important means of providing affordable housing in perpetuity to meet needs of local rural communities.
	In addition, in order to retain affordable housing for local communities in areas where replacement would be difficult, the right to acquire, under which housing association tenants may buy their rented home at a discount, does not apply in areas designated as rural, generally settlements of 3,000 or fewer inhabitants.
	In general, Section 106 can be used to impose a planning obligation restricting the use of land in any specified way or requiring land to be used in any specified way. An obligation created under section 106 is not only enforceable against the person entering into it but also against any person deriving title from them. Therefore, where restricting occupancy of affordable housing to the local population is material to the granting of planning permission for a residential development, a section 106 agreement provides a means of ensuring that this occurs.

Housing: Standards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1062-3W, on housing: standards, what estimate she has made of the cost of bringing all  (a) owner-occupied,  (b) private rented,  (c) local authority and  (d) registered social landlord housing up to code level 3 for sustainable homes.

Iain Wright: The Code for Sustainable Homes is a framework for the design and construction of sustainable new homes. Existing homes can not be assessed against the standard because some elements of the standard apply to the construction process, such as having a site waste management plan. There are also a number of sections that would be unrealistic to expect in existing homes where major renovation or re-building would be required to achieve them. There is therefore no intention of requiring existing homes to come up to Code level 3 standards.
	New homes built with public funding are required to meet Code level 3. The 2007 cost analysis in the impact assessment undertaken by Cyril Sweett concluded that the additional cost of building to Code level 3, over and above the cost of building to current building regulations standards, is around 4-8 per cent. This report, however only took into account capital costs, excluding benefits such as reduced energy costs and added value to the property.

Appeals: Central Government

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2008,  Official Report, column 352W, on appeals: central Government, which departments the Treasury Solicitor's Department represents in their applications for leave to appeal; and how many such applications the Treasury Solicitor's Department handled in the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: The Treasury Solicitor's Department acted on behalf of most central Government Departments on various legal matters during 2007-08. Data specifically on applications for leave to appeal to the House of Lords (both in terms of the number of applications and which client Department they relate to) is not maintained by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. Furthermore, as there has been no call from client Departments for this information in the past, the Treasury Solicitor has consequently not been able to justify the commitment of public funds to collate and record these applications in the form requested. The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Arts: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many projects and organisations in Leicester have received Arts Council funding in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: According to the Arts Council, in 2007-08 11 organisations in Leicester received grants on a regularly funded basis and nine projects were funded through its Grants for the Arts programme.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate has been made of the number of  (a) people aged over 75 and  (b) disabled people who have taken advantage of the digital switchover help scheme in  (a) Forest of Dean constituency,  (b) Gloucestershire and  (c) the UK.

Andy Burnham: The digital switchover help scheme assisted 2,616 people in Copeland, Cumbria. The help scheme has just begun to assist people in the Selkirk transmitter area within the Border TV region and full take up figures will be published after the help scheme closes for that area in December. Gloucestershire, including the Forest of Dean, does not switch until 2010 and eligibility for the help scheme will start eight months before the first transmitter switch in that region. The way in which the help scheme was provided with information for Copeland means that data on the breakdown between those aged 75 or over and those who are disabled is not readily available. The help scheme is considering how best to make such information available in future, consistent with its data protection duties.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Data Protection

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what restrictions there are on the use by stakeholders involved with the delivery of the Digital Switchover Help Scheme of personal data supplied to them in connection with the scheme.

Andy Burnham: Access to data must be in accordance with The Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007. Information disclosed under the Act is strictly for use in connection with "switchover help functions" and there are criminal penalties for unlawful disclosure. The powers to disclose information will effectively lapse once the switchover process is completed. Before processing the information, DWP and local authorities will need to satisfy themselves that the security and IT procedures in place for handling the data are appropriate. A Memorandum of Understanding exists between DWP and the scheme administrator to ensure that the data are processed in accordance with the law, including compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Maize Production in Africa

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department made of the accuracy of the statement by the Chief Scientific Adviser broadcast on 27 November 2007 that the push-pull system of maize production in Africa involved genetically modified crops; what steps his Department took to correct the elements of the statement which have been demonstrated to be inaccurate; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 16 July 2008
	In the Daily Mail on 18 December 2007, the then Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King was reported as acknowledging that he had made an honest mistake about the push-pull system of maize production. The technique, which has been developed by Rothamsted Research and local research institutes in Africa, does not currently involve genetic modification of the crops. Under the technique, repellent crops are planted between the rows of maize to drive the stemborer pests away from the maize ("push") in combination with plants around the field that attract stemborers away from the maize ("pull"". Rothamsted Research reports that trials in Kenya and Uganda have helped participating farmers increase their maize yields by 20 to 50 per cent.
	One of the "push" plants also controls a parasitic plant, the African witchweed, that otherwise causes even greater crop losses. The genetic basis of the mechanism is being studied by Rothamsted Research and its African collaborators under new funding from the Department for International Development and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Space Technology

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of the global market for space products and satellite-enabled services he estimates will be provided by UK enterprises by 2015.

Ian Pearson: No estimate of the proportion of the global space market that will be provided by UK enterprises by 2015 has been made. The British National Space Centre (BNSC) undertakes a biennial survey of the UK space industry and the latest published results, which are for 2004-05, Indicate that the UK share of the global market at that time was 7 per cent. The UK Civil Space Strategy 2008-12 published earlier this year contains an objective to grow the UK share by 2015. This is a challenging objective as the market itself is growing at between 12 and 15 per cent. per year.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to consult primary care trusts to ensure they have sufficient staff to meet the 18 week waiting time commitment;
	(2)  at what point of treatment the 18-week waiting time initiative begins; and whether it will be extended to specialised services;
	(3)  what support and guidance will be provided by his Department to primary care trusts in England in relation to the implementation of the 18 week waiting time initiative; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether his Department's 18-week waiting time initiative will be extended to infertility services; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The maximum 18 week waiting time applies as a national standard from 1 January 2009 onwards. The 18-week target applies to the whole period from receipt of referral made by a general practitioner or other care professional to any consultant-led service, including infertility services. There are no national plans at present to extend the scope of the 18 weeks referral to treatment target.
	To support primary care trusts (PCTs) in delivery of 18 weeks a service transformation strategy has been put in place. This includes publishing 18 weeks commissioning top tips and 42 model 18 weeks commissioning pathways. These pathways support PCTs in commissioning the most effective services for their patients. The Department has provided a range of guidance including national 18 week clock rules, definitions and guides on how to apply and measure 18 week rules locally.
	An 18 weeks intensive support team has been established to assist local health communities deliver the 18 week target by the end of December 2008. Copies of a step by step guide has been placed in the Library. Comprehensive information and resources on the support available to the NHS is available on a dedicated website,
	http://www.18weeks.nhs.uk/
	It is the responsibility of PCTs working with the strategic health authority to ensure they have sufficient staff to deliver the 18 weeks target at a local level.

Defence Maritime Strategy

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to implement the defence maritime strategy.

Bob Ainsworth: We continue to make good progress in implementing the maritime element of the Defence Industrial Strategy.
	The formation of BVT Surface Fleet on 1 July, that brings together the shipyards at Portsmouth and on the Clyde under one management, and the signature of the contract to build the two Future Aircraft Carriers is a clear demonstration of this progress.
	The construction of the Carriers is a substantial boost to British industry and is expected to create or sustain 10,000 jobs across the UK at peak production, with around 1,000 jobs at each of the main shipyards. Along with the six T45 Destroyers, the Carriers will ensure a steady drumbeat of work in a shipyard for years to come.

Helicopters

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the provision of helicopters for operational service in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton) and South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous).

Helicopters

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will increase the number of helicopters available for the use of UK troops in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Macclesfield (Sir Nicholas Winterton) and South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous).

Departmental Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the total cost overrun on projects sponsored by his Department which are under construction.

Bob Ainsworth: The current estimate of the total cost overrun on major equipment projects is £3,036 million. We have taken major equipment projects to be all those with a procurement value greater than £20 million that have passed their main investment decision point but yet to reach their In Service Dates.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil actions have been brought against his Department relating to illnesses and injuries sustained  (a) on operations abroad and  (b) whilst serving in the UK in each year since 1997; and what the cost to the Department in each year was.

Derek Twigg: Claims are not recorded on the Department's claims database in a format that differentiates between illnesses and injuries sustained on operations abroad and while serving in the UK. However, the number of civil claims for personal injury brought against my Department by members of HM forces since 1997-98 is set out as follows. Financial data regarding the cost to my Department in terms of compensation and associated legal costs relating to this category of claimant is also set out as follows. A figure for 1997-98 is however unavailable due to the way such financial data was recorded at that time.
	
		
			   Service personnel personal injury claims  Compensation and associated legal costs (£ million) 
			 2007-08 603 32.7 
			 2006-07 550 32.9 
			 2005-06 640 26.3 
			 2004-05 667 22.7 
			 2003-04 604 25 
			 2002-03 666 40 
			 2001-02 819 32.3 
			 2000-01 924 36.6 
			 1999-00 752 31 
			 1998-99 735 26.7 
			 1997-98 730 —

Defence Medical Services: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) required and  (b) actual complement is of each medical personnel type in each branch of the armed forces of the Defence Medical Services;
	(2)  what the  (a) required and  (b) current strength of Defence Medical Services is, broken down by (i) service and (ii) trade.

Derek Twigg: Manning data is as of October 2007 as this is the most accurate available.
	The following table summarises the required manning level of the Defence Medical Services of the Armed Forces, including the requirement for a manning and training margin (MTM) and the actual number of personnel, including those in training.
	
		
			   Requirement  MTM( 1)  Personnel -trained strength  Personnel in training( 2)  Personnel total 
			 Royal Navy 1311 218 1378 271 1649 
			 Army 4516 287 3783 561 4344 
			 Royal Air Force 1748 171 1574 63 1637 
			 Tri-service 7575 676 6735 895 7630 
			 (1) The Manning and Training Margin (MTM) relates to personnel who are undertaking career directed professional training and those who are non-effective, for example while on terminal leave or long-term sick leave. (2) Personnel in training does not include personnel who are already trained in a medical speciality and who are in career directed professional training.  Source: Manning Return, October 2007 
		
	
	Tables which provide the figures for each medical speciality and show the requirement and the number of trained personnel (but not personnel in training) in each medical and dental personnel division of the armed forces as at October 2007, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's budget was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows total MOD expenditure on research activity in each of the last 10 financial years for which complete data is available. Figures are inclusive of non-recoverable VAT, expressed at current prices, and presented in £ million. Because of transitional arrangements with the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting, the figures are expressed as a percentage of the MOD net cash requirement from 2001 -02 in order to provide a broad comparison over the period. Before this point, MOD reported its expenditure on a cash accounting basis.
	
		
			  £ millions 
			   MOD departmental net research Expenditure  Percentage of aggregate MOD expenditure 
			 1996-96 672 3.0 
			 1997-98 564 2.7 
			 1998-99 560 2.5 
			 1999-00 552 2.4 
			 2000-01 566 2.4 
			 2001-02 557 2.2 
			 2002-03 515 1.9 
			 2003-04 524 1.8 
			 2004-05 639 2.2 
			 2005-06 598 2.0 
			  Source:  UK Defence Statistics 
		
	
	The net cash requirement (NCR) is the actual money that MOD requests from the Government in order to fund its activities. The NCR takes account of movements in working capital levels (debtors, creditors, stock) while excluding all non-cash costs (e.g. depreciation and cost of capital charges etc.) The term "Department" has been interpreted as the MOD not including its trading fund agencies (i.e. ABRO, DARA, Met Office, DSTL and Hydrographic Office). This aligns with the MOD annual report and accounts.

Departmental Sick Leave

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days of sick leave were taken by his Department's employees in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Sickness absence rates in the MOD for the 12 months ending 31 December 2005, 31 December 2006, 31 December 2007 and 31 March 2008 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Sickness absence rates by year ending 
			  FTE rates 
			   Industrial  Non-industrial  Total 
			 31 March 2008 11.54 8.01 8.66 
			 31 December 2007 11.85 8.22 8.90 
			 31 December 2006 12.11 8.04 8.82 
			 31 December 2005 12.54 8.55 9.30 
			  Notes: 1. Data excludes staff in trading funds, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians for whom sickness absence data is not readily available. 2. Data presented reflects the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and excludes data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays. 3. Rates are calculated by dividing the total working days lost for each period by a weighted 13 month average for the period listed with the first and last month receiving a weighting of 0.5, and all other months a weighting of 1. 
		
	
	Information prior to the 12 months ending 31 December 2005 is compiled on a previous definition for monitoring sickness absence which is incomparable with figures for 1 January to 31 December 2005 onwards.

Departmental Buildings

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on which buildings occupied by his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies the lease will be due for renewal in the next four years.

Anne McGuire: DWP—The majority of the DWP estate has been sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Land Securities Trillium under a Private Finance Initiative contract known as PRIME which runs until 2018.
	The proceeds were released to HM Treasury in April 1998 for the original Department for Social Security estate and further in December 2003 when PRIME was expanded to include the former Employment Services estate. DWP holds no valuable leases or freeholds following the letting of the PRIME Contract and its subsequent expansion.
	Consequently we do not hold any information for these buildings as lease responsibilities lie with Land Securities Trillium.
	For the other DWP agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) the position is outlined as follows.
	 The Rent Service
	The following buildings are occupied where a lease becomes renewable in the next four years.
	
		
			  Building name  Location  Tenure  Lease break 
			 Hawthorn House (1(st) Floor), Emperor Way Exeter Lease 24 March 2009 
			 5(th) Floor, Holland House Oxford Road Bournemouth Lease 1 October 2008 
			 4 London Court, East Street Reading Lease 15 June 2009 
			 St. Mary's House (1(st) Floor), Victoria Road Chelmsford Lease 28 September 2009 
			 1(st) Floor, Adelphi House, 8 Turret Lane Ipswich Lease 28 September 2009 
			 Tuition House (2(nd) Floor), St. George's Road Wimbledon Lease 2 November 2009 
			 Spectrum Building (West Wing), Bond Street Bristol Lease 2 January 2010 
			 5 Victoria Court, Kent Street Nottingham Lease 29 October 2010 
			 
			 Gd Floor, Unit E, Aviator Court, Clifton Moor 3(rd) Floor, Rouen House, Rouen Road, York Lease 9 January 2011 
			  Norwich Lease 2 September 2011 
		
	
	 Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
	There are 21 buildings where leases are to be renewed and the locations and dates are as follows.
	
		
			  Building name  Location  Tenure  Lease break/end 
			 AW HSE Luton Lease 20 January 2011 
			 Lakeside 500 Norwich Lease 18 September 2011 
			 Phoenix House East Grinstead Lease 18 March 2012 
			 OCNS-Harwell Oxfordshire Lease 24 March 2011 
			 Hagley Road Birmingham Lease 24 June 2012 
			 Haswell House Worcester Lease 19 February 2009 
			 
			 Lyme Vale Court Stoke Lease 8 February 2011 
			8 February 2016 
			 
			 City Gate West Nottingham Lease 22 December 2008 
			 Edison Court Wrexham Lease 12 August 2009 
			 Darkgate Building Carmarthen Lease 31 December 2009 
			 Ballard House Plymouth Lease 24 March 2011 
			 Government Building Llanishen MOTO 31 March 2010 
			 Grove House Manchester Lease 16 July 2012 
			 Marshall House Preston Lease 27 August 2011 
			 Daniel House Bootle Lease 16 October 2009 
			 Cherry Lane Warehouse Walton Lease 11 December 2008 
			 Marshalls Mill Leeds Lease 18 February 2011 
			 Arden HSE, 5(th) Fl Newcastle Upon Tyne Lease 24 December 2010 
			 Edgar Allen House Sheffield Assigned Lease 24 March 2011 
			 West George Street Glasgow Lease 8 September 2008 
			 Longman House Inverness MOTO 31 March 2009 
		
	
	 NDPBs and Arm's Length Bodies
	There are no leases that are due for renewal in the next four years.

Pension Credit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated additional annual costs 
	(1)  of allowing the pension credit assessed income period to continue automatically after the age of 80 are; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  of his Department's proposals to allow pension credit to be retained for up to 13 weeks of a temporary absence abroad are; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The proposals to allow pension credit to be retained for up to 13 weeks of a temporary absence abroad and the introduction of an indefinite assessed income period for those pension credit customers aged 80 or over or who have an assessed income period spanning their 80th birthday (benefiting most customers aged 75 or over) are part of a package of pensions measures that will make claiming benefit entitlements simpler and less intrusive and deliver extra support to pensioners. This package includes the introduction of a more automatic claims process for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims made over the phone with pension credit claims, which will benefit around 50,000 pensioners over the next few years. The costs and savings associated with wider pension measures along with the costs of the proposed changes to rules on temporary absence abroad in pension credit and introducing an indefinite assessed income period for those aged 80 or over are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimates of costs/savings: 2007-08 prices 
			  £ million 
			   2008  2009  2010  2015  2020  2030  2040  2050 
			 Total pension measures 575 -25 0 0 75 150 200 250 
			  Of which: 
			 Absence abroad 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 
			 Indefinite assessed income periods for those aged 80 or over — -3.5 -2.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 
			  Notes:  1. Negative figures represent net savings.  2. The total set of wider pensions measures includes the simplification package and spending on other pension measures in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.  3. Figures relate to financial years.  4. Estimates represent combined administrative and benefit costs/savings.  5. Total estimates for the wider portfolio of pensions measures have been rounded to the nearest £25 million.  6. Estimates of pension credit absence abroad changes and the indefinite assessed income periods for those aged 80 or over have been rounded to the nearest £0.5 million.  7. Indefinite assessed income periods for those aged 80 or over are due to be introduced from April 2009 so no costs are shown in 2008. On the introduction of pension credit assessed income periods (AIPs)—where appropriate—were set for five and seven years which accounts for the high volume of AIPs reaching maturation in 2009-10.  8. Other pension measures include the up-rating of the pension credit standard minimum guarantee this year by 4.2 per cent. (more than the earnings commitment made for pension credit over the long term, the relevant average earnings figure was 3.5 per cent.) and the one-off additional amount with the winter fuel payment for the winter of 2008-09.  9. Simplification package includes the following measures: Automatic forwarding of housing benefit/council tax benefit claim details taken alongside a pension credit claim to the local authority, without the need for a signed claim form; reduction of the maximum housing benefit/council tax benefit backdating period from 12 to three months; reduction of the maximum pension credit time for claiming period from 12 to three months; increasing the length of time pension credit recipients may be abroad without losing their entitlement from four to 13 consecutive weeks; and the introduction of an indefinite assessed income period for those pension credit customers aged 80 or over or who have an assessed income period spanning their 80th birthday (benefiting most customers aged 75 or over).  10. Estimated costs and savings are consistent with the 2008 Budget settlement but it should be noted that they are based on a set of assumptions and are subject to change as new data becomes available.  11. Estimated costs/savings of the pension credit absence abroad and indefinite assessed income period measures have been projected forward from 2011 in line with the growth in the long-run forecast of expenditure on pension credit.  Source:  DWP modelling

Pension Credit: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost saving from the proposed reduction in the maximum period for claiming backdated pension credit from 12 to three months; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The proposal to change the length of time allowed for customers to claim pension credit (known as backdating) from 12 to three months is part of a package of pensions measures that will make claiming benefit entitlements simpler and less intrusive and deliver extra support to pensioners. This package includes the introduction of a more automatic claims process for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims made over the phone with pension credit claims, which will benefit around 50,000 pensioners over the next few years. The costs and savings associated with wider pension measures along with the savings produced by the proposed changes to the time allowed for claiming pension credit are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimates of costs/savings 
			  £ million, 2007-08 prices 
			   Total pension measures  Of which: Pension credit backdating 
			 2008 575 -55 
			 2009 -25 -100 
			 2010 0 -95 
			 2015 0 -70 
			 2020 75 -65 
			 2030 150 -55 
			 2040 200 -45 
			 2050 250 -40 
			  Notes: 1. Negative figures represent net savings. 2. The total set of wider pensions measures includes the simplification package and spending on other pension measures in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. 3. Figures relate to financial years. 4. Estimates represent combined administrative and benefit costs/savings. 5. Total estimates for the wider portfolio of pensions measures have been rounded to the nearest £25 million. 6. Estimates of pension credit backdating have been rounded using the following convention: figures over £100 million have been rounded to the nearest £10 million and figures between £10 million and £100 million rounded to the nearest £5 million. 7. Other pension measures include the up-rating of the pension credit standard minimum guarantee this year by 4.2 per cent. (more than the earnings commitment made for pension credit over the long term, the relevant average earnings figure was 3.5 per cent.) and the one-off additional amount with the winter fuel payment for the winter of 2008-09. 8. Simplification package includes the following measures: Automatic forwarding of housing benefit/council tax benefit claim details taken alongside a pension credit claim to the local authority, without the need for a signed claim form; reduction of the maximum housing benefit/council tax benefit backdating period from 12 to 3 months; reduction of the maximum pension credit time for claiming period from 12 to 3 months; increasing the length of time pension credit recipients may be abroad without losing their entitlement from 4 to 13 consecutive weeks; and the introduction of an indefinite assessed income period for those pension credit customers aged 80 or over or who have an assessed income period spanning their 80th birthday (benefiting most customers aged 75 or over). 9. Estimated costs and savings are consistent with the 2008 Budget settlement but it should be noted that they are based on a set of assumptions and are subject to change as new data becomes available. 10. Estimated costs/savings of the pension credit backdating measure has been projected forward from 2011 in line with the growth in the long-run forecast of expenditure on pension credit.  Source: DWP modelling

Bus Services: Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the year-on-year percentage change in adult bus fares in  (a) passenger transport executive areas,  (b) London and  (c) other areas of England was in each year since 1986 before the effects of local and national changes in concessionary travel.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the estimated percentage change in local bus fares in each year from 1985-86 to 2006-07 for England, London, passenger transport executive (PTE) areas and other areas. The estimate for 2006-07 has been adjusted to show change before the likely estimated effect of the introduction of concessionary bus fares on 1 April 2006.
	Data are not available for the period which covers the introduction of the national concession on 1 April 2008. Data are not available to adjust the data series for any discretionary local concessionary arrangements.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   London  English PTE areas  English non-PTE areas  England 
			 1986-87 6 27 5 11 
			 1987-88 5 9 5 6 
			 1988-89 11 6 5 6 
			 1989-90 10 8 8 8 
			 1990-91 10 11 10 10 
			 1991-92 10 12 8 9 
			 1992-93 8 7 4 6 
			 1993-94 8 5 3 5 
			 1994-95 6 4 4 5 
			 1995-96 5 5 4 5 
			 1996-97 4 5 5 5 
			 1997-98 4 6 5 5 
			 1998-99 4 5 5 4 
			 1999-2000 3 5 5 4 
			 2000-01 0 4 5 4 
			 2001-02 -2 5 5 4 
			 2002-03 -1 4 5 3 
			 2003-04 2 4 5 4 
			 2004-05 8 4 5 6 
			 2005-06 10 8 7 8 
			 2006-07 8 6 6 7 
			  Note: The data for 2006-07 has been adjusted to show the change before the likely estimated effect of the introduction of concessionary bus fares on 1 April 2006.

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of  (a) the number of computer devices left on overnight in her Department when not in use and  (b) the cost of leaving computer devices on overnight when not in use in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Neither the Department nor its agencies has the information to answer the question as requested.
	As recorded in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 3 June 2008,  Official Report, column 852W, the Department and it's agencies all have policies of switching off computer devices (PCs, monitors, and printers) when not in use, and at night, and staff are regularly reminded to do so.
	Apart from occasional compliance surveys at headquarters buildings there is no mechanism to estimate the number of individual computers left on overnight and when not in use, and there are no plans to introduce this.
	DfT (Central) operates an automatic shutdown of non-essential computers from 7 pm every Friday. A monitoring analysis of the effect of this indicates annual savings of 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions (13.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide) and a cost saving of £2,600.

Departmental Travel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on taxi travel for staff in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Five of the Departments seven agencies (DVLA, GCDA, HA, VOSA and MCA) do not record taxi spend separately from other travel costs, and the information could be only provided at disproportionate cost. Figures for the remaining two agencies, DFT(c) and for DFT (Rail) are included in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 VCA 2,581.85 2,416.75 2,061.86 
			 DSA — 11,256 20,556 
			 DFT Rail 15,272.56 10,615.94 14,457.63 
			 DFT(c) 123,128.94 — — 
		
	
	DSA did not record taxi costs separately before 2006, and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures for DFT(c) for 2006-07, and 2007-08 are not currently available, but we expect that they will be by the end of July.

Lorries: Accidents

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of reported motorway traffic incidents involved a heavy goods vehicle with left hand drive in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and what percentage of those incidents were attributed to poor visibility or blind spots on such vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number and percentage of reported personal injury motorway traffic accidents involving a left hand drive heavy goods vehicle and the percentage of these accidents where the heavy goods vehicle had 'vehicle blind spot' as a contributory factor are shown in the table.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Number of motorway injury accidents involving at least one left-hand drive heavy goods vehicle (HGV) 593 513 470 
			 Percentage of all motorway injury accidents involving at least one left hand drive HGV 7 6 6 
			 Percentage of motorway injury accidents involving at least one left hand drive HGV where the HGV had 'vehicle blind spot' as a contributory factor 40 40 36

Motor Vehicles: Fuels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislative changes are required to extend the target dates for the renewables transport fuel obligation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have stated that it intends to consult formally on slowing down the rate of increase in the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO), taking the level to 5 per cent. (by volume) by 2013-14, in line with the Gallagher review's recommendation.
	Subject to the outcome of this consultation, any changes to the level of the RTFO would need to be made through an amendment to the RTFO Order 2007 (SI no 3072). The draft amending order would be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure, and would therefore require a debate on its content in both Houses of Parliament.

Transport: Consultants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what allocation  (a) her Department and  (b) the Highways Agency has made for consultancy fees, excluding technical transport related consultancy, in relation to (i) roads, (ii) railways and (iii) administration in 2008-09.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not break down its budget for consultancy into technical and non-technical transport related consultancy. The requested information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For the Highways Agency, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1452W, on transport: consultants.

Bail

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many suspects have been granted conditional bail in courts in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many suspects were granted bail for indictable offences in courts in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many suspects granted bail in courts in England and Wales in each of the last five years were subsequently convicted and received a custodial sentence of  (a) up to 12 months,  (b) between 12 months and four years,  (c) over four years and  (d) an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection.

Jack Straw: Data showing the number of defendants remanded on bail, for all offences including indictable offences, by all courts in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 can be found in the following table. The data includes those held in custody at any stage during proceedings. The bail data supplied relate to the offence at the outcome of court proceedings, which may differ from the original charged offence. These data are taken from the 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales' publications, 1997-2006. Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform do not distinguish between those released on conditional and unconditional bail.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	My Department does not collect data in a form that enables identification of the number of defendants granted bail in courts in England and Wales in each of the last five years who were subsequently convicted and received a custodial sentence of  (a) up to 12 months,  (b) between 12 months and four years,  (c) over four years and  (d) an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection.
	
		
			  Estimated number of persons remanded on bail at magistrates' or the Crown Court, England and Wales, 1997-2006( 1) 
			  T housand 
			   Total number bailed at all courts( 3, 4) 
			  Offence group( 2)  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Indictable 383.9 393.2 373.7 390.6 387.4 376.8 357.5 369.1 331.2 316.1 
			 Summary (other than motoring) 116.1 147.0 126.6 113.9 129.6 127.3 138.0 153.0 154.0 155.2 
			 Summary motoring 101.5 100.0 93.4 78.6 81.8 81.4 103.3 111.0 104.7 91.1 
			 Total 601.4 640.2 593.7 583.1 598.7 585.5 598.7 633.0 590.0 562.3 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with. (3) Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail. (4) Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail.  Notes  1: Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Court Proceedings Database.

Community Orders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether time spent travelling to unpaid work appointments counts towards an offender's community sentence.

David Hanson: In general, offenders are expected to travel to Unpaid Work appointments in their own time. If, however, they live in a location that requires them to spend more than 30 minutes travelling in each direction, the time over 30 minutes is credited against their sentence. The total amount of time credited in this way, however, must not exceed 10 per cent., of their sentence. Once they have reported for work, any time spent travelling to, or between, work sites is counted as part of their sentence.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the percentage of  (a) white,  (b) African,  (c) Bangladeshi,  (d) Pakistani and  (e) African-Caribbean people are registered to vote in the UK.

Bridget Prentice: The Government have not made any estimate of the percentage of  (a) White,  (b) African,  (c) Bangladeshi,  (d) Pakistani and  (e) African-Caribbean people registered to vote in the UK.
	However, the Electoral Commission found in their report, "Understanding Electoral Registration", published in September 2005 that the groups least likely to be registered to vote included young people, those residing in private rented accommodation and those belonging to certain minority ethnic groups. Registration rates among White, Asian (those from Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities) and Black Caribbean groups were similar.
	Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 placed a new duty on Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) to take all necessary steps to register eligible electors. These steps include sending the annual canvass form more than once, making house to house inquiries and inspecting records that the ERO is permitted to inspect. The Government believe that these steps should help to tackle under-registration.

Carbon Emissions: Standards

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the UK's capacity to meet its carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets with the current level of technical expertise available to industry and the public sector; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government remain committed to meeting its CO2 emissions reduction targets, and is confident that the correct strategies and mechanisms are in place to achieve this, including the UK Climate Change Programme, tighter building regulations and the EU emissions trading scheme.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what percentage of staff in his Department and its predecessor have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: BERR's records, and it's predecessor, the Department for Trade and Industry, show:
	
		
			   BERR HQ including UKTI staff who have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 2007-08 385 12 
			 2006-07 478 12.5 
			 2005-06 480 11

Environment Protection: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much additional funding the Government have committed to  (a) the Clean Technology Fund and  (b) the Strategic Climate Fund following the Heads of Government agreement on energy and climate change at the G8 summit.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK intends to make available an 800 million contribution to the Strategic Climate Fund announced at the Hokkaido G8 summit, a proportion of which will be allocated to the Clean Technology Fund. Part of the UK's contribution will also be allocated to the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience.
	The exact allocations to these (and other programmes funded through the Strategic Climate Fund) have yet to be determined since some aspects of the sectoral programmes are still under design. Roughly two thirds of the 800 million will be allocated to climate change mitigation, and one third to climate change adaptation.
	The joint DEFRA/DFID Environmental Transformation FundInternational Window (ETF-IW) will finance the UK's contribution. The ETF-IW is in addition to current climate and ODA spending for both DFID and DEFRA.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of GCSE results at grade A* to C were achieved by schools that have had  (a) full and  (b) partial refurbishment under the Building Schools for the Future programme in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: There are currently 13 schools which have completed their full or partial refurbishment through the Building Schools for the Future programme and so the contribution made by these schools to the number of A*-C grades at GCSE is very small. Following is a table of the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*~C GCSE grades (or equivalent) in each school.
	
		
			  New build schools 
			  Name  Local authority  Percentage of pupils GCSE achieving 5 A*-C grades (or equivalent) 
			2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Solihull Centre for Inclusive Learning (Merston and Forest Oak Special Schools) Solihull (1) 0 0 0 0 
			 Bamburgh School South Tyneside and Gateshead 14 5 22 8 14 
			 Sixth Form Centre Haringey (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 Brunel Academy(3) Bristol 31 23 25 23 n/a 
			 Sandon High School Stoke 47 49 42 49 42 
			 The Michael Tippett School Lambeth (1) (1) 0 0 0 
			 Bristol Metropolitan College(4) Bristol 31 31 31 28 43 
			 All Saints Newcastle 13 23 40 32 48 
			 The Chaucer Business and Enterprise College Sheffield 25 24 27 20 39 
			 Oxclose Sunderland 71 66 69 62 66 
			 The Elmgreen School Lambeth (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Birches Head Stoke 33 32 36 49 45 
			 The Ifield School Kent 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) No pupils entered (2) Not available. Not in KS4 tables (3) Previously known as Speedwell Technology College (4) Previously known as Whitefields Fishponds (5) Not available. Opened in September 2007  Note: Figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August)

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many Building Schools for the Future projects are planned to take place in schools which had fewer than 30 per cent. of their pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics in 2007; and how much funding is due to be allocated to such schools for the programme;
	(2)  how many Building Schools for the Future projects are due to take place in schools that did not achieve 30 per cent. of their pupils obtaining five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2007; and what the expenditure on those projects will be.

Jim Knight: As explained in my response to your question 217564 on 15 July,  Official Report, column 378W, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding is provided to local authorities as an 'envelope' to allow allocation of resources to individual schools reflecting the local view on priorities and needs. Details of allocations to BSF local authorities are included in the answer to your question 217532 on 15 July,  Official Report, column 377W.
	15 secondary schools, where in 2007 fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils attained five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics, are expected to open in new or remodelled BSF buildings this financial year. A further 256 will benefit from funding as part of current Building Schools for the Future projects, either through Local Education Partnerships, the Partnerships for Schools National Framework or as One School Pathfinders. An additional 73 are included in pre-BSF private finance initiative projects, and 29 are being, or have been built under the DCSF Academies programme.

Drama: Further Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many colleges listed drama as  (a) a specialism,  (b) a second specialism and  (c) a combined specialism in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Schools specialising in drama will normally be designated as specialist Arts colleges The Arts specialism covers performing arts, visual arts or media arts, or combinations of the three; we do not keep records of which particular strands individual schools focus on. The number of schools that have been designated with Arts college status in each of the last three years is listed in the following table:
	
		
			   Specialism (a)  Second specialism (b)  Combined specialism (c)  Total 
			 2005/06 60 7 6 63 
			 2006/07 39 5 10 54 
			 2007/08 33 1 7 41 
			 Total 122 13 23 158 
		
	
	In addition, there are two Performing Arts Academies and the Brit Schoolthe only City College for the Technology of the Arts, which is dedicated to education and vocational training for the performing arts and associated technologies.

Music: Education

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary age children took music lessons in schools outside the national curriculum in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: This information is not held centrally.
	However, in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2007, the Department commissioned surveys of local authority music services, which collected data on the prevalence of music tuition. Survey reports are available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/projectinformation.cfm?projected=15161keyword=music%20services keywordlist1=Local%20authoritieskeywordlist2=Artskeywordlist3 =0andor=ortype=0resultspage=1
	This is national data rather than broken down by local authority, but it provides an indication of the music tuition that children and young people are receiving.

Borders: Personal Records

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role Deloitte have played in the e-borders programme; at what cost to date; and what the full contractual cost of using Deloitte is estimated to be.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 16 July 2008
	Deloitte consultancy services provided support to the procurement process to acquire a service provider for the e-Borders Programme. Their role included assisting with bidder discussions and contract finalisation activities. Since the contract was awarded to Trusted Borders, and subsequent to the transition phase from procurement to implementation, Deloitte has provided advisory support to various workstreams of the programme. This is in relation to the design of the e-Borders solution.
	The cost to date of the services provided by Deloitte is 23.8 million. The full contractual cost is unavailable as Deloitte support is ongoing with, a .variable resource requirement.

Crime: Victims

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to minimise any harmful effects arising from police questioning of victims of crime.

Tony McNulty: The National Policing Improvement Agency, alongside the Association of Chief Police Officers, work to improve the professional competence of all police officers and staff tasked with conducting investigations by assessing individual practitioner's performance measured against established national standards. These standards are applied, not just at the conclusion of interview training, but also throughout an individual's career by supervision, appraisal and review of performance.
	The intermediary special measure provision of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 is currently being rolled out nationally with completion expected by September. As well as providing support at the trial for vulnerable witnesses, an intermediary assesses a witness at the investigative stage and provides support to ensure that the witness is asked appropriate questions.
	The Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) updated Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance for Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses, including Children, which was launched in autumn 2007, This provides guidance and best practice on how to interview appropriately vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, how to identify their needs and wishes and the support available to them. OCJR is currently in the process of revising the other guidance in the suite of documents published in 2001-02 to support the implementation of Special Measures. This includes the guidance document Vulnerable Witnesses: A Police Service Guide, which is aimed at aiding front-line officers identify vulnerable witnesses, so that they can receive the support they need.

Entry Clearances: Iran

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints the British Embassy in Tehran received on the visa application procedure in each of the last 36 months; and how many were dealt with within the target 24 hour response time.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 July 2008
	Details of complaints received by the visa section at the British embassy in Tehran in each of the last 30 months is given in the following table. Data prior to January 2006 is not held. Please note that the published target time for dealing with complaints is 20 days, not 24 hours. This data has not been published and should be treated as provisional.
	
		
			   Number of complaints  Number dealt with within 20 days 
			  2006   
			 January 0 0 
			 February 0 0 
			 March 0 0 
			 April 0 0 
			 May 3 3 
			 June 0 0 
			 July 0 0 
			 August 0 0 
			 September 0 0 
			 October 2 2 
			 November 0 0 
			 December 0 0 
			
			  2007   
			 January 0 0 
			 February 0 0 
			 March 1 1 
			 April 0 0 
			 May 1 1 
			 June 6 6 
			 July 1 1 
			 August 1 1 
			 September 0 0 
			 October 4 4 
			 November 0 0 
			 December 0 0 
			
			  2008   
			 January 3 1 
			 February 0 0 
			 March 1 1 
			 April 2 1 
			 May 0 0 
			 June 0 0 
			 Total 25 22

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much fish was procured by her Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Liam Byrne: My Department inclusive of its agencies does not contract directly for food or fish supplies but procures catering services through wider Facilities Management (FM) or operational service contractors.
	To obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Illegal Immigrants: Ostend

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to try to reduce the number of illegal immigrants entering the UK from Ostend via Harwich and other UK ports.

Liam Byrne: The creation of the UK Border Agency has further strengthened our border by enabling customs and immigration staff to work more effectively and efficiently alongside one another as a single team protecting our borders.
	Harwich is one of five flagship ports where new ways of working have already been implemented. As part of this work, customs staff in Harwich received training and powers to search for clandestine entrants and to detain any illegal immigrants. This has led to increased coverage of the immigration risk at the port.
	We cannot disclose specific information relating to Intelligence Operations or deployment of staff at specific UK Ports, as this information could prove of significant value to those seeking to circumvent our border controls. To release such information would impede our ability to prevent and detect immigration and customs offenders, thereby prejudicing the security of the UK border.

Illegal Immigrants: Police Custody

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued to local police forces on the detention of illegal immigrants.

Liam Byrne: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) applies to all persons detained in police custody, including those detained under immigration legislation. No additional (guidance specifically for immigration detainees in police cells has been issued.
	The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) will respond to every police request where they encounter and arrest people who they have confirmed have been smuggled into the UK in lorries and take that person to immigration detention if appropriate. The UKBA have worked closely and in partnership with the Association of Chief Police Officers and have established Immigration Crime Partnerships with 85 per cent. of Constabularies in England and Wales with a target to increase this to 90 per cent. by 2008 and 100 per cent. by March 2009. The Government's plans, set out in 'Enforcing the Deal' published on 19 June 2008, set a clear goal to target and remove the most harmful people first, working with local authorities and enforcement agencies to shut down the privileges of the UK to those breaking the rules.
	Copies of this document are placed in the Library of the House. It is also available to view at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/managingourborders/enforcementbusinessplan08_09/enforcementbusinessplan08_09.pdf?view=Binary

Immigration

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will ensure that the Minister of State gives personal consideration to the exceptional aspects of the case of Mrs Sara Said, the constituent of the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam.

Liam Byrne: It is not the policy of the UK Border Agency to comment on individual cases but we will write to the hon. Member detailing our consideration of Mrs. Said's case.

Immigration Controls

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal One in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency did not commence collating queue performance information in its current format until August 2007. It is therefore not possible to provide the average waiting time for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via Heathrow Terminal one for the first six months of 2007. Please find following, however, a table providing the most up to date queue performance at major London airports, including Heathrow, for the month of May.
	The UK Border Agency recognises that it has a responsibility to process genuine passengers without delay but the safety and security of the public remains a priority.
	There are currently arrangements in place at most ports to benchmark performance. Heathrow is among those airports that are currently using a 45 minutes (non-EEA) and 25 minutes (EEA) queuing time as such a benchmark. This is the maximum wait time in which we aim to process passengers and in turn informs staff deployment as well as informing considerations on further investment.
	We are clear that the average queuing times are well within these benchmarks but we will continue to work on reducing the occasions where those figures are exceeded.
	
		
			  Queuing times during May 2008 for London airports 
			  Location  Heathrow  Gatwick  Stansted  London City( 1) 
			  Non-EEA 
			 Average queue length (minutes) 12 15 12 3 
			  
			 Percentage over benchmark 2 4 0 0 
			  14 out of 598 measures 11 out of 270 measures 0 out of 95 measures 0 out of 74 measures 
			  
			  EEA 
			 Average queue length (minutes) 4 8 7 3 
			  
			 Percentage over benchmark 1 2 0 0 
			  8 out of 599 measures 5 out of 270 measures 0 out of 95 measures 0 out of 68 measures 
			 (1) London city operates single queues but these are predominantly EEA passengers.

Immigration Controls

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Gatwick South Terminal in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency did not commence collating queue performance information in its current format until August 2007. It is therefore not possible to provide the average waiting time for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Gatwick South Terminal in the first six months of 2007. Please find following, however, a table providing the most up to date queue performance at major London airports, including Gatwick, for the month of May.
	The UK Border Agency recognises that it has a responsibility to process genuine passengers without delay but the safety and security of the public remains a priority.
	There are currently arrangements in place at most ports to benchmark performance. Gatwick is among those airports that are currently using a 45 minutes (non-EEA) and 25 minutes (EEA) queuing time as such a benchmark. This is the maximum wait time in which we aim to process passengers and in turn informs staff deployment as well as informing considerations on further investment.
	We are clear that the average queuing times are well within these benchmarks but we will continue to work on reducing the occasions where those figures are exceeded.
	
		
			  Queuing times during May 2008 for London airports 
			  Location  Heathrow  Gatwick  Stansted  London City( 1) 
			  Non-EEA 
			 Average queue length (minutes) 12 15 12 3 
			  
			 Percentage over benchmark 2 4 0 0 
			  14 out of 598 measures 11 out of 270 measures 0 out of 95 measures 0 out of 74 measures 
			  
			  EEA 
			 Average queue length (minutes) 4 8 7 3 
			  
			 Percentage over benchmark 1 2 0 0 
			  8 out of 599 measures 5 out of 270 measures 0 out of 95 measures 0 out of 68 measures 
			 (1) London city operates single queues but these are predominantly EEA passengers.